Bottom hole oil treater injector



Nov. 22, 1966 P. l.. slssoN 3,285,77

BOTTOM HOLE OIL THEATER INJECTOR Filed Feb. 1or 1964 s .Sheetsneet 1 INVENTOR.

ff 4 5 m Purdy L. Sissa/7 Nov. 22, 1966 P. L.. slssoN BOTTOM HOLE OIL TREATER INJECTOR Filed Feb. lO, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Purdy L. Sissa/7 INVENTOR.

u /4 IT14 Nov. 22, 1966 P. L. slssoN BOTTOM HOLE OIL THEATER INJECTOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 10, 1964 Ffg. 9

n w m I 5 U L .0., .w H w P United States Patent O 3,286,771 BOTTOM HOLE OIL rlfREA'IER INJECTOR Purdy L. Sisson, Oklahoma City, Okla., assignor to Automation Oil Corporation, Oklahoma City, Okla., a corporation of Oklahoma Filed Feb. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 343,740 11 Claims. (Cl. 166-177) 'Fhis invention comprises a novel and useful bottom hole oil treater inject-or and more specifically pertains to a device for introducing a chemical treating agent into the oil entering a tubing string through which a well is being produced and for effectively mixing this treating agent with the oil prior to the entry of the latter into the tubing string.

A frequent problem encountered in the production of oil from wells arises from the forming of ,paraliin incrustartions upon the pumping rods within the tubing and other parts of a pump or fiowing well; and fromv the ingress of sa-nd with the produced oil into the tubing string, and the like with resultant wear upon the parts thereof. It is therefore the general purpose of -this invention to provide a means for largely overcoming the above-mentioned di-fficulties.

A prim-ary object of the invention is to provide a device for effectively overcoming the problem of paraffin incr-ustations upon the rods, tubing and other parts of a pump or flowing well.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will effectively remedy the problem of sanding in a flowing well or pump 1-2.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device for introducing a chemical treating agent, for various different purposes, into the oil prior to or during its entry into the filtering unit o|f the tubing string.

Sti-1l another object of the invention is to provide a filtering unit enabling the acurate construction of filter orifices of a predetermined relatively small size as in the order of one difteen thousandths (l/'15,000) of an inch.

Still another purpose of the invention is to provide a filtering unit in accordance with the immediately preceding object having a relatively great filtering capacity Still another purpose of the invention is to provide a filtering unit in accordance with the immediately preceding object having a relatively great filter capacity.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a filtering unit in accordance with the foregoing objects having means for effectively treating the filter in situ, without the necessity for pulling the tubing string in order to obtain access to the filtering unit.

Still another purpose of the invention is to provide a device in compliance with the preceding objects which shall be capable of injecting or introducing not only paraffin dissolving `agents but other chemical treating agents such as heating agents and the like at the lower end of the tubing string for treating the oil passing therethrough.

Yet another purpose of the invention is to provide a device which shall be capable of being easily installed when a well cleaning job is being performed, and may rem-ain in place when the pump is subsequently pulled for servicing and the like.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the preceding objects wherein an oil treating unit for efcaciously mixing a chemical treating agent -with the oil is provided consisting of no moving parts, and shall be constructed of standard .units or sections capable of installation in series in any desired quantity to obtain varying treating capacities.

Yet another important object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the preceding objects wherein the uni-ts of the treating unit shall be interchange- Patented Nov. 22, 1966 able to specifically adapt the unit to handle and treat oils of predetermined different gravity ranges.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved filter unit which shall afford a relatively large filter capacity and wlherein any desired range of filter orifice size may be obtained.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details olf construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a sornewhat diagrammatic view partly in elevation and partly in section of an oil treating device in accordance with this invention and with the well casing or boire of a producing well being shown in phantom therein;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken upon an enlarged scale through the oil treating Sub and substantially Iupon the .plane indicated by the section line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the treating sub including the treating funi-t and the filtering unit, taken partly in elevation and partly in vertical section and substantially upon the plane indicated by the broken section line 3 3 of FIGUR'E l;

FIGURES 4-6 yare detail views of the oil treater unit, being taken in horizontal lsection substantially upon the planes indicated by the section lines 4 4, 5 5 and 6 6, respectively of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a detail view taken upon an enlarged scale in vertical section substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7 7 of FIGURE 4 and showing further details of the internal construction of the treater units of the invention;

FIGURE 8 is a detail view in perspective of one of the jet nozzle units of the injecting means of the inven- Iltion;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged view in vertical central section through the novel filtering unit of the invention and showing the injector means disposed therein;

FIGURE 10 i-s an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 9 but showing a modified construction by which a chemical treating agent is introduced directly into the filtering unit by the injector means disposed therein; and

FIGURE ll is a detail view in perspective of a portion of the filtering unit-s of FIGURES 9 and l0 and showing the construction thereof.

Referring first to FIGURE l it will 'be observed that a well bore which may be cased or uncased as desired, is indicated in phantom by the numeral 10 and extends into an oil productive formation from which oil is to be produced. Indicated at 12 is a tubing string having interposed therein or secured to the lower end thereof an oil treating sub indicated generally by the numeral 14. Shown disposed in the tubing string 12 immediately above the oil treating sub 14, as shown best in FIGURE 3, is a tubing pump including a pump barrel and casing 16 in which is reciprocated a pump rod string 18 by any suitable means .at the surface, not shown, and which at its lower end is provided with 'any conventional form of reciprocating pump plunger 20 having a traveling valve assembly 22 of any desired type therein. At the lower end ofthe pump barrel 16 there is provided the usual standing valve assembly indicated generally by the numeral 24 and which likewise is of any suitable design.

Referring again to FIGURE l it will be observed that the treating sub 14 includes as component elements thereof an oil treater unit designated generally by the numeral 26 and which is supported |by and in communication with the lower en-d of the tubing string 12 together with an oil filtering unit indicated generally by the numeral 28 and which is secured at the lower end of the oil treater unit 26.

The sub 14 is of the same diameter as that of the tubing string to which it is connected so that it will be moved therewith into and out of a well casing as desired.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURE 3 it will be further observed that an injector means is provided for introducing various chemical treating agents into the sub 14 rat the lower end thereof for mixing with the oil passing through the sub and into the production tubing 16. The injector means includes a supply conduit 30 which extends to and communicates with any suitable source of a chemical treating agent at the surface, not shown, and whose lower portion enters into the sub 14 through a side Wall thereof and is provided with sets of nozzles with e-ach assembly of such nozzles being indicated generally by the numeral 32 as shown in detail in FIGURE 8. The nozzles Iare disposed within the sand filter unit 28 and serve to introduce various chemical treating agents into the oil passing into the filtering unit and passing t-herefrom into the treating unit 26 from thence into the tubing string.

The present invention envisions the use of various chemical treating agents. The very important chemical `agent employed is any suitable agent capable of dissolving parafn as the latter precipitates out of the Ioil passing from the formation into the Well bore so as to preclude the depositing of this paraffin in the form of encrustations upon the inside of the tubing string, upon the pump rods, and the like. The function of the injector unit is to homogeneously intersperse the treating agent throughout the oil in the filtering unit so that when the oil With the added treating agent reaches the treater unit 26, it will be more intermittently and thoroughly mixed therewith in that unit prior to its passage to the tubing string.

It is contemplated also that other treating agents may be provided for various purposes including agents for varying the gravity of the oil to facilitate its production, heating agent operable to effect an increase in temperature of the oil and thereby enable asphaltic and other heavy oils t-o be more readily produced from the well.

Referring again to FIGURE 3 it will be observed that the supply conduit 30 has a portion as at 34 which passes through the lwall of the tubing -string i2 and'into the pumping chamber 36 and from thence through t-he pump barrel seating member or -seating packer 38 which abuts against the upper end of the treater unit 26. From thence, in a manner to be subsequently described, the supply conduit 30 extends downwardly through the treater unit `and terminates within the filtering unit in la series of nozzle assemblies 32 therein.

As shown lbest in FIGURES 3 and 7, the treater unit 26 includes a cylindrical housing 40 in which is disposed a series of vertically spaced alternate bafiie units 42 and screen units 44 in vertically stacked relation extending throughout t-he length of the housing 40y of the treating unit 26. It will be observed that each of the bafiie and screen units consists of a cylindrical open-ended body or Wall 46 having a transversely disposed plate 48 for the baffles 50 for the screens disposed intermediately thereof. Referring especially to FIGURE 6 it will be observed that each of the screen plates 59 is provided with a plurality of perforations `52 disposed uniformly across its which was added to the oil in the filter unit and belowk the treater unit is effected in the latter.

It will also be noted that there is provided a hollow central arbor 56 extending through the treater unit and that each of the baffle and screen plates are centrally apertured to surround and encircle this arbor, there being provided spacer sleeves 58 between adjacent plates.

The previously mentioned supply conduit 30` after entering the interior of the treater unit passes downwardly through the arbor S6 and emerging yfrom the lower end of the latter enters and extends throughout the vertical height of the filter unit 2S.

Referring now to FIGURE 8 it will be observed that the conduit 30 emerging from the arbor 56 intol the filter unit 28 is provided with vertically spaced joints 60 from which project radially disposed arms 62 each carrying a conical-shaped spray-head 64 thereon. As shown in FIGURE 2, there are provided in 'vertically spaced relation throughout the interior of tihe cylindrical hollow body forming the filter unit 28 -a plurality of supporting spiders 66 ea-ch surrounding ,and embracing the supply conduit 30 and centering it with respect to the filter body. Thus, the various nozzle assemblies 32 are centered and supported within the filter unit.

Reference is now made specifically to FIGURES 9-11 for `an understanding of the construction of the filter unit forming an important feature o-f this invention. In order to obtain filtering orifices of any desired degree of fineness for preventing the ingress of Very fine grained sands from the oil well, the filter body is formed by a plurality of rings 70 'disposed in vertically spaced relation with respect to each other. The annular spaces 72 between the rings comprise the filtering orifices of the filtering unit and extend throughout the entire circumference of the rings thus providing the maximum area of filtering openings for the filter unit.

In order to secure the rings 70 in fixed and precisely spaced relation, there are provided as shown in FIGURE l1 `a plurality of axially extending rods or other rigid elements 74 which are welded or otherwise bonded to the interior surface of each of the rings in circumferentially spaced relation thereabout to thus rigidly unite the rings together into a rigid assembly. The upper and lower ends of the rods are also bonded to external-ly threaded coupling members 76 and '78 lat the upper and lower ends of the filtering unit :and by which t-he latter is respectively secured to the lower iopen end of the treater unit 26 as by a coupling sleeve 80 and to a lower .shoe or nipple 82 which is provided preferably with a closure plug 84 at its lower end. By means of the rigidifying axially extending rod 74, it is possible to very precisely space the rings from each other to obtain any predetermined spaces 72 therebetween. I-n some instances, these spaces may be on the order of one fifteen thousandths of .an inch (J7/15,000).

In the arrangement shown in FIGURE 10, the supply conduit is shown as having a portion `86 extending through the coupler 80 by which the treater unit 26 is secured to the filter unit 28. Thus, in this lform of the invention the treating agent is brought by the supply conduit directly into the filtering unit itself thus avoiding the necessity of passi-ng it through the treater unit 26. In some instances, the treater unit may thus be omitted and the filtering unit relied upon as a means for mixing the treating agent With the incoming supply of oil.

The invention is equally applicable to producing wells either which flow by their own pressure and thus do not require the presence of a tubing or other pump or wel-ls which are produced under the action of a tubing pump.

The invention enables a very precise screening action together with the introduction of chemical treating agents into the oil after it has passed into the interior of the filtering unit. There is thus obtained a very intimate and effective mixing of the chemical treating agent with the oil before the latter enters the tubing string.

When it is Idesired to clean out the filter, this may |be effected by injecting through the supply conduit 30 the cleansing agent under :a sufficiently high pressure to cause it to spray out .against the interior of the iiltering unit and thus cleanse the spaces '72 from the interior of the iiltering unit. Consequently, it is not necessary to pull the tubing string in order to flush out the tiltering unit.

The device can be readily installed at the end of a tubing string especially when the well is being worked over. When once installed it is no longer necessary to remove the Stringer ,and -iltering units when it is desired to pull the pump string in order to service the pump.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles 'ott the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bottom hole oil treating device comprising in combination with a tubing string through which oil is produce-d an oil treater unit mounted upon the lower end of said tubing string and communicating therewith, means introdu-cing an oil treating chemical agent into the lower end olf said treater unit for mixing with the oil passing therethrough, said treater unit comprising a plurality of vertically spaced alternate screen and Ibathe units within said treater unit with adjacent 'baffle units having oppositely directed baies thereby eecting reversal of ow of the oil passing through successive baiile units.

2. An oil treating device comprising in combination with an oil ow tubing string an oil treating sub interposed therein, said sub comprising an oil treater unit having its upper end communicating with and supported by said tubing string, an oil iilter unit mounted upon and com municating with the lower end of said treater unit and having an inlet end at the lower end of said tubing string, an injector means introducing an oil chemical treating agent int-o said filter for mixing with the oil passing through said sub, said treater unit including a plurality of vertically spaced alternate screen and baie units with adjacent baffle units having oppositely inclined baes thereby effecting a reversing flow of the oil passing through said tractor unit.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said screen and baie units each consists of .a cylindrical Wall having a transverse piate therein intermediate its ends, the plates of said screen units being each provided with a multiplicity of apertures, the plates of said 4bame vunits each having a plurality of openings therethrough with said bames being each mounted upon the periphery ont one of said openings.

4. The combination of claim 3 including an arbor extending axially through said treater unit, each of said plates being mounted upon and encircling said arbor.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said injector means includes a conduit disposed within said arbor and injector nozzles connected to said conduit.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said nozzles are disposed in vertically spaced relation within said filter unit.

7. The combination off clai-m 1 wherein said screen and baffle units each consists of a cylindrical wall having a transverse plate therein intermediate its ends, the plates of said screen units .being each provided with a multiplicity of apertures, the plates of said baffle units each having a plurality of openings therethrough with said bales being each mounted upon the peripheryof one of said openings.

8. The combination of claim 7 including an arbor extending axially through said treater unit, each of said plates being mounted upon land encircling said arbor.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said injector means includes a conduit disposed within said arbor and injector nozzles connected to said conduit.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said nozzles are dispose-d in vertically spaced relation within said lter unit.

11. The combination of claim 2 wherein said iilter unit comprises a plurality of vertically spaced rings having annular lopenings therebetween in the order .of about one fifteen thousandth (Vg-000) inch and means disposed within said rings and xedly retaining them in spaced relation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,432,425 10/ 1922 Symons 166-44 1,448,997 3/ 1923 Foggan 166-41 1,618,837 2/1927 Leggett 166-235 1,693,405 11/ 1928 Sanford 166-5 6 1,758,376 4/1930 Sawyer 166-44 1,866,927 7/ 1932 Ekstromer 166-44 JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Examiner.

J. A. LEPPINK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BOTTOM HOLE OIL TREATING DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION WITH A TUBING STRING THROUGH WHICH OIL IS PRODUCED AN OIL TREATER UNIT MOUNTED UPON THE LOWER END OF SAID TUBING STRING AND COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, MEANS INTRODUCING AN OIL TREATING CHEMICAL AGENT INTO THE LOWER END OF SAID TREATER UNIT FOR MIXING WITH THE OIL 